Agenda item

(a)  That the over-riding proposal for a Localities Strategy be agreed and that it be aligned to the three operating areas (North, South and East) of the Council’s strategic partners as set out in Appendix A to the report.

(b)  That the proposals be agreed for the six buildings to be located within the operating areas as set out in the report in section 5.9.

(c)  That the programme set out in section 5.11 in the report and the potential future opportunities across the Council’s wider asset base and two former parish buildings in Britwell and Wexham be noted.

(d)  That an update report be presented to Cabinet in June or July 2019.

(e)  That a working group of Councillors (including relevant Lead and Ward Members) and officers be formed to monitor project delivery and that an update on these arrangements be provided in the next report to Cabinet.

The Cabinet considered a report that sought agreement on the principles of the Council’s Localities Strategy.

The strategy aimed to deliver services in a co-ordinated way, close to where residents lived, and was part of the wider Transformation Programme to put customers at the heart of everything the Council did.  Joining up services with partners through co-location where possible was also part of the approach.  The strategy was based on three locality areas – North, South and East – which were based on the service delivery areas of adult social care and Thames Valley Police.  A ‘hub and spoke’ model was proposed with the new HQ building in the town centre and six hub locations in communities.  The development programme for these facilities in Chalvey, Britwell, Langley, Bath Road, Cippenham and Wexham were described.  The services available at each hub would be flexible and varied depending on the different needs of the community.

The Cabinet strongly welcomed the aims of the hub plans to put residents closer to the Council teams and services and partners closer to residents.  The opportunities to join up services with partners was highlighted by the Cabinet as a key priority of the approach with residents taking ownership of local services and buildings.  The cost of accessing facilities in the new community centres and hubs would need to set at levels that were affordable to promote their use.

Lead Members emphasised the importance of involving residents at an early stage in the plans for hubs in their areas.  It was also suggested that the working group of Councillors include ward Members when plans for their areas were being developed.  It was agreed that the update report to Cabinet in June or July 2019 include further detail on how the working group would engage Members and partners.  Discussions had taken place with Thames Valley Police and East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group amongst others about how their plans could fit into the strategy and this engagement would continue as the options for each site moved forward.

In relation to the development programme for specific sites, the Cabinet agreed there were particular opportunities in neighbourhoods affected by the abolition of Wexham Court and Britwell Parish Council’s arising from the transfer of buildings to the borough council to maintain vibrant hubs.  It was agreed to amend recommendation (c) to reflect the Cabinet commitment to seek to enhance community provision in these areas in the future.

At the conclusion of the discussion the Cabinet welcomed the work that had been done to date and agreed that the principles of the strategy be agreed.  Much more work would be needed to effectively deliver the plans and an update would be received in June or July 2019.

Resolved –

(a)  That the over-riding proposal for a Localities Strategy be agreed and that it be aligned to the three operating areas (North, South and East) of the Council’s strategic partners as set out in Appendix A to the report.

(b)  That the proposals be agreed for the six buildings to be located within the operating areas as set out in the report in section 5.9.

(c)  That the programme set out in section 5.11 of the report and the potential future opportunities across the Council’s wider asset base and two former parish buildings in Britwell and Wexham be noted.

(d)  That an update report be presented to Cabinet in June or July 2019.

(e)  That a working group of Councillors (including relevant Lead and Ward Members) and officers be formed to monitor project delivery and that an update on these arrangements be provided in the next report to Cabinet.